


And I Knew

by OldWomanJosie



Category: Leverage
Genre: D/s relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-22 07:32:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2499710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OldWomanJosie/pseuds/OldWomanJosie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliot was pretty sure everyone on the team thought Nate was a dom. Eliot knew, though, and he was going to do something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And I Knew

_and I knew I was close to you, and i knew_

Eliot was pretty sure everyone on the team thought Nate was a dom. He was their leader, after all, master and commander. Why wouldn't he be a dom? The crazy little switch, Parker, thought so, and Hardison, a sub himself, worshipped the ground Nate walked on. Sophie, the other dom on the team, could see it as well, but she never did anything except dance around the truth. Eliot knew, though, and he was going to do something.

It was the slight way Nate's knees buckled when Eliot glared at him. It was the slightly downcast eyes whenever the hitter was angry with him. It was the drinking most of all: a sure sign of a sub out of control and trying to hide. It hurt Eliot to watch Nate self-destruct more and more every day without a dom to ground him. He knew he had to find the mastermind a dom somewhere, or stand by and watch him kill himself.

But was there any dom who could take Nate Ford? Sure, Nate and Sterling had been together for years, after and even during that it was Maggie. Now they were both gone and Nate was a fugitive. There was no one. Eliot never seriously considered taking Nate in hand himself. They were too close, friends and teammates. How was he supposed to begin to draw the lines between when he was in control and when Nate called the shots? No, that kind of dynamic would be far too hard. 

He put the possibility it firmly out of his mind until the night he let himself into Nate's apartment to find the place trashed. Everything was thrown around, glass littering the floor and the scent of alcohol. "Nate?" Eliot called, stepping carefully into the wreckage and shutting the door behind him. There was blood on the ground. "Nate!"

Charging up the stairs into Nate's bedroom, Eliot found him huddled on the floor, wedged between the dresser and the wall. The state of the apartment was testament to how violently drunk Nate had been, but all the fight had left him now. The glass downstairs had cut his feet and hands. He was bleeding and shaking and didn't seem to recognize Eliot at first. His friend was a wreck and suddenly Eliot didn't care how hard it would be anymore

Eliot let out a slow breath and reached out to Nate. He settled against the wall, holding the older man and gentling him like a spooked horse. When Nate's tremors finally stilled and he fell asleep against Eliot's shoulder, the hitter knew he'd been hooked. There was no way he was going to let things go back to the way they had been. Nate was his now, and he was going to take care of him.

Eliot bandaged the gashes in Nate's hands and feet and put the sub to bed. After a second's thought, he slid in beside him. He dropped to sleep holding Nate in his arms, wondering why he hadn't done this sooner. Everything was going to be alright now.

When Nate woke up the next morning to find Eliot in his bed, he didn't ask what had happened last night. He knew.


End file.
